Abstract Art in Moab Utah

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Saturday, 10 April 2021 - Milky Way photography at Mesa Arch staying until sunrise to shoot over the Colorado River valley, then explored Potash Road capturing cliffs, petroglyphs, and unique rock varnish patterns, visited Sego Canyon with ancient Barrier Style and Fremont rock art, and finished the day with sunset and night photography at Arches National Park's Park Avenue and Queen Nefertiti Rock, capturing stars and streaking meteors.

This morning was the night to catch the Milky Way - that meant getting up at 0200 - preparing two big cups of coffee and driving 40 minutes to Mesa Arch. Thinking that 0300 was a bit early and I should be alone I was surprised that the parking lot had over 15 cars - wow. I collected all my gear - and coffee and began the hike to the arch.

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There were only three photographers at Mesa Arch, all shooting the Milky Way. I settled down and took this photograph after several tries. One of the photographers (Dave Koch) was from Salt Lake and very friendly we struck up a conversation and waited from 0400 until 0700 in the dark for sunrise. Dave went back to his truck for more coffee for the both of us and got lost coming back.
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The wait was over and the sun made an entrance. This time there were only three photographers set up so we could get much closer to the arch and take pictures into the Colorado River valley below.

You can imagine the timing and clicking just as the sun appears.
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Back to Potash Road to photograph the rocks and petroglyphs.

The cliffs are so photogenic - there were many climbing schools trying out the cliffs as well.
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The rock varnish makes for interesting patters on the rocks.
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Looking for photographs which are art and not the big landscapes.

The rock cliffs and the varnish combined into these types of compositions.
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Nestled between the towering cliffs cut by the Colorado River are petroglyphs - long a quarter mile stretch.

At one end is the Bear Panel with a giant bear and several small humans with bows and arrows pointed at the bear.
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Then headed to Sego Canyon an hour or two north of Moab where there are several rock cliffs with petroglyphs.
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Barrier Style rock art is estimated to date back to about 2000 BCE. It is distinctive in life-size mummy-like human shapes without arms or legs.
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The drawings are eerily reminiscent of alien drawings.
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The Fremont culture thrived from A.D. 600 to 1250 and was contemporary with the Anasazi culture. All these various ages of carvings/drawings from several cultures 7000 BCE to only a few hundred years ago.

I liked the hunting scenes.
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Large timbers of old bridge near the petroglyphs created a nice composition.

Back to Moab - we had a few hours prior to dinner so we to Potash Road - a target rich area for photographers.
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Neat cliffs and rock compositions.
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Rocks like this are everywhere - many are passed up as there are so many unique rock formations, colors, and textures.
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As the sun set the colors from the rocks reflected in the water creating pretty abstract compositions.
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Always alert to catching a green tree against the red rocks
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The last rays on the rocks.

Headed to an early dinner so we can head our for some night photography.
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Entered Arches National Park and stopped at the rock formation known as Park Avenue. It is a canyon flanked on both sides by very high rock formations.

This is the rock formation called Queen Nefertiti Rock with millions of stars.
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On the opposite wall of the canyon the rocks marched down the canyon under the stars.
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The cliff at the beginning of the Park Avenue trail is very large - photographing it was difficult as it sits very close to the road and people (probably photographers) were heading in and out with some regularity. The rock is lit by the passing headlights.

There is a shooting star caught streaking downward in this 30 second photograph.
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